Last



E. Q. KRENTLER usr Filed A'prdil 17. 1922 Patented Mar. 24, Y i I l i UNI-.TED PAT ENT v o^l=fl=lc|a.

EDWIN o. xRENTLEILj or Iurnaorr,A MICHIGAN, AssIGNoR To KRENTLERMRNOLD HINGE LAsTcoMPANY, oF l1)I:fI*-IIrc IfrMICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN.

p LAST.

' Application iudkprii r2, 1922. seria1N0-55`as16;

To all cl2/rom' t mag/1 concern; 1 devices into' operative position, while simul-v Beit knownthatfI, EDWINl j. VrK,1iIi`i-"r'i"L1iR', taneously forcing the locking members into a citizen of theUnited States, and "resident" rigid, positive7 holding engagement. of'Detroit, in the county of VVa'yne and State l Further features, important details of of Michigan, have invented ali-[Improvement construction and'novel combinations of parts d() inLasts; ofwhichthe'followingdescriptiom and advantages will be hereinafter more in connection withthe accompanying drawffully pointed out and claimed; ings, is' a specification, likey letters Yon the Referring to the drawings, illustrating a drawings representing like'parts'.` i preferred Aembodiment of my invention,

10 My present invention' isa las't'of the'two- Fig. l is a side view, partly in `cross-secA- 65 part type, wherein positive lockingmeans, tion, illustrating -my improved last conare providedin combination with manually. struction, showing the last in extended or actuated releasingdevices. n normal position; Y

Ina ytwo-part last, having-"a construction Fig. Y2 is a similar view illustrating the 'i wherein a hinge or pivotal-'relative' move# last in'shortenechflexed or brokenl position; ment between the two parts lis'l provided, it Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view, partly is of great importance to provide-ineans in cross-section on theline 3-3 of Fig l; which will hold the last rigidly and prefv andy Y erably positively locked while" in extended F ig.- 4 is a cross-sectional view on tlieline position,against'the strains*andjstressesdue 4--1 v0f Fig. l.

tothe various machines and processes of shoe In `myfpresent last l prefer to illustrate 'manufacture, as at present em'ployed It the same in a type of hinge last with the well is an important objectofgmy'ppresentinven-. known knuckle joint or Kant-break tionl to provide such' positive and rigid lockconstruction, andv preferably of the so-called ing means in aI tWo-partjlast', which vwill, be B. B. hingel type, n illustrated in U.' S. S0 automatically` actuated f to hold the mlast Patent 1,094,153', dated April 21], 1914.' The firmly in extended positioinwhich `vwill kalso hinge type of lastof said patent contains automatically compensate for any wear in important features and characteristics as y, the hinge members or anylooseness inthe therein explained, utilizing a tubular hinge 'a'r lines of cut, and which will also enable'the' member for 'one part, and a cooperating sa locking meansto be readily and instantly re-k hinge plate for the other' part,^and my presleased and the'rlastto be their easily broken ent invention is readily applicable to a hinge or iexed to be witlidiavm from ashoe last of suchl construction, containing all Important featuresv of the present inventhe Vadvantages yof the same7 leconomies in 35 tion also consist in having the locking de construction, etc., as well as the additional 90 vices entirely concealed and protected from. advantages of a positive locking and quick dirt, injury, damage or displacemenhand releasing, automatically replacing the rcwith the unlocking means readily accesible, leasing devices, etc., of Vthepresent inveneasily actuated and ofl simple and efficient tion.

4o construction. s shown in the drawings, a typical last 95 A further feature of importance in my having 'Y forepart lH and heel part 2 is propresent improved form of last consists in l vided'with. the line of cut separating these the fact that the positive locking devices' tivo" parts 'on the .form of the knuckle kare automatically snapped or forced-into pojoint type, the same being concentric, as

sition betweencooperating faces on the me-V illustrated at with the main or central 10o tallic 'hinge or pivotal ymembers and while pivot 6 unit-ing the two hinge members, andr the releasing or unlocking member is manueon which the lastparts hinge or pivot for ally operated -when the last is flexed,v or relative movement. These hinge members shortened, the ac t ofstraightening the last consist in a tubular member 7 fitted in a automatically moves the unlocking means suitable bored recess 8 in the forepart, and 105 y out of the way andinto position forthe suba plate 9 fitted in a recesslO in the heel sequent releasing action. Thus the 'simple part, the tube having a slot 'l2V through movement of straightening the last, Inovwhich the extending portion of the plate 9 ing it upon its pivot' into lengthened or nor- Inay pass, and both being bored to receive mal position, acts 'to throw'r the unlocking the central pivot 6. Rivets 14 and lo hold '1W the tube 7 and plate 9 respectively. Preferably the last is also formed with abutting faces 16 and 17, and thus far is substantially similar in construction to the present type of B. B. hinge of said Patent, 1,094,153. On the part of the heel plate 9 extending forwardly or beyond the pivot 6 is formed a locking portion 20, consisting in the forward projection and concave face 21. Co operating and interlocking therewith is a headed bolt 25 having a head portion 26 of suitable contour to lit within the curved face 2l and projecting locking part 20 of the heel plate 9. A spring 30 normally acting between the rivet 14 and the head of said bolt 25,v forces the bolt into engagement with the said projecting or forward portion of the plate 9. Thus when the last is in extended position, the bolt 25 is held firmly against the end portions of the plate 9 by the spring 30 and the cooperating faces act to positively and rigidly interlock and hold the last in its extended position. It will be appreciated that lasts in use are presented to levelling, beating, heel nailing and lasting machines, and the like, bottom upward, and therefore the strains are against the bottom of the last. The cooperating locking faces of the plate 9 and bolt 25 are so formed as to resist all such strains and to hold the last rigidly in extended or locked position. In order to unlock the last it is necessary to release the locking action of said bolt and cooperating faces on the plate 9, and for this purpose I provide a simple construction of releasing lever. Where the plate 9 and tube 7 overlap to allow for the common pivoting on the pin 6, I form the slot 12 in the tube 7 of suiiiciently greater width than the thickness of the plate 9 to receive the. legs 35 and 36 of a releasing lever 40, said legs straddling the plate 9 and having therein an elongated slot 37 which also straddles the pin 6. The forward ends of these legs 35 and 36 are formed as projections 38 bearing against the head 26 of the bolt 25 on either side of the plate. I also form in the plate 9, directly over the pivot 6, a notch or recess 41, in which the lower part of the lever 40, where the legs 35 and 36 join, are seated or straddled across the same as a bearing. Thus on movement of the lever 40, with the bearing in the notch 41 as al fulcrum, the legs 35 and 36 will be moved forwardly and backwardly for the limit of length permitted by the slot 37. The spring 30 is of suicient power to force the bolt 25 into its locking engagement and also to rock this lever so that when the last parts are moved into extended position, as shown in F ig. 1, the spring 30 will force the bolt into locking engagement with the parts 20 and 21 of the plate 9, simultaneously moving the lever 40, rocking it upon the fulcrum above described and moving same on the pivot 6,

the distance allowed by the slot 37. The last in this position is firmly, rigidly and positively locked. To release the lock the operator simply catches the lever 40 and moves it backwardly, thus removing the head of the bolt 25 against the tension of its spring 30, this releasing the cooperating lock engaging portions, and thereupon the forepart and heel part may be moved on the pivot 6 freely and easily, the forward portions 38 of the legs 35 and 36 effecting this releasing action, as will be readily understood. To provide for a sufficient throw of the lever 40, I may form a recess 44 in the heel part, as illustrated.

In the operation of the last the mere movement of the last parts into extended position effects the locking and the automatic repositioning of the unlocking or releasing lever into proper position so that its movement to the right, viewing the drawings, releases the spring and effects the unlocking, thereby permitting a quick and easy flexing of the last, as well as speedy removal of the last from the shoe. I-Ieretofore it has been necessary to exert considerable strength to break or flex the last and this has been exerted through the completed shoe, subjecting it to some strains, whereas by my present invention, no strains whatever are exerted through the shoe to break the last, and the last can be withdrawn much quicker than was formerly possible in utilizing hinge lasts of this type. Furthermore an important advantage is that the spring 30 required in my present last, is of much less power and hence very much more economical than is necessary in utilizing a strong spring necessarily of sufficient power to prevent breaking of the last, in the construction shown in said Patent 1,094,153.

In assembling the parts, my present invention also possesses great advantages. The last parts are readily moved into assembled position and held there by slight force, the lever 40 is positioned with the legs and 36 straddling the forward part of the plate 9, and with the parts in this position, the tube 7, locking lever, and plate 9, are all assembled and keyed by the litting of the pivot 6. Thus the hinge members are easily united, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. l with the spring 30 not under great compression. In the action of the unlocking of my present last, the movement of the lever 40 is only necessary for a very slight distance, separating the bolt 25 from locking engagement` a slight separation then permitting the flexing of the last, which is completed by the sliding of the projecting portion 20 on the plate 9 against the rounded surface ofthe head 26 of the locking bolt. Thus the completion of the flexing or breaking of the last is effected merely by the movement of the heel and forepart, and the lever 40 housed fwithin the recess 44I without beingfforeedwtherein' by the operator.v "In other words it is only necessary to initiate the releasing actionby aslight quick movement 'of the lever 40, andsimultaneously starting a relative movementy of the forepart and heel part ,onthe pivot 2, the bolt25 beingthus moved Sulli-VV struction has the importantadvantages ofr all the locking; members heilig concealed within the interior of the last, protected from damage or dirt, producing a locking engagement on the metallic members constituting the hinge, and the thrust of the spring 30 and the cooperating bearings of the curved head 26 and face 21, providing for a considerable range or scope of compensation for wear or slight looseness in the lines of cut or the'pivot. In carrying out this feature it will be noted that the curvedl face 21 on the lever 9 is formed on an arc of greater radius than is the curved surfaceof the head 26 on the locking bolt, thus producing a construction wherein the constant tension of the vspring 30 thrusts the bolt 25 forwardly without fairly seating the head of said bolt against any stop or limit on the face 21.

In my improved last are the further advantages of riveting or anchoring the hinge plate kmembers as yshown at the rivets 14 and 15, remote from the line of cut dividing the twoparts, and in thesolid wood portion of each part. My releasing construction, while particularly applicable to an interlocking member which is normally held in position by a spring, as hereinshown, is also equally applicable to release the interlocking engagement of such a construction as is shown in Patent 1,410,47 7 issued March 21, 1922, if desired, or any similar hinge last construction wherein it is desired to releasevthe locking of the last in extended positionprior to the flexing or breaking of the last to shorten it.`

-My invention is further described Aand delined in the form of claims as follows:

l. A two-part last, having hinge members unitingsaid parts, a movable locking member and means cooperating with one of said hinge members to interlock with the locking member to .holdthe last rigidly in extended position, the said interlocking members being concealed and protected within one of the hinge members and being formed and constructed to compensate automatically for wear. f Y

y 2. A two-part last, having hinge members uniting said parts, one member being in the form of a tube, a movable locking member concealed in said tube and adapted toV cooperate with the other hinge member to rigidly loekthelast 1in' extended position, in combination' lwith an unlocking meansman ually 'operable toj` separate the interlocking action'fof said'members prior to flexing of the last. s

2) Afhinge last, `having a bored-recess in one part, a tubular' `hinge -member itted 1 in said recess, a platek member secured to the other part, saidtwo members beingv united on a pivot'on which the last parts may be moved,fa boltf movable within'said tubular member, having means to interlock with a cooperating engaging face on the plate hinge member, means normally forcing said bolt into interlocking engagement with said plate member, and manually movable means extending outside the hinge member-s to release the bolt from interlocking position.

4. A hinge last, having a bored recess in one part, a tubular hinge member fitted in said recess, a plate member secured to the other part, said two members being united on a pivot on which the last parts may be moved, a bolt movable within said tubular member, having means to interlock with a cooperating engaging face on the plate hinge member, means normally forcing said bolt -into interlocking engagement with said plate member, and manually movable means extending outside the hinge members having a lever, and fulcrumed on one of said hinge members. s

5. A hinge last, having a bored recess in one part, a tubular hinge member fitted in said recess, a plate member secured to the other part, said two members being united on a" pivot on which the last parts may bc moved, a bolt movable within said tubular member, having means to interlock with a cooperating engaging face on the plate hinge member, means normally forcing said bolt into interlocking engagement with said plate member, and manually movable. means to release the bolt from interlocking action consisting in a hand-operated lever extending` outside the hinge members, a portion straddling the plate hinge and bearing thereon, and extending portions adapted to contact with the bolt, whereby movement of the lever will release the bolt from interlocking engagement.

6. A hinge last, havinga bored recess in one part, a tubular hinge member fitted in said recess, a plate member secured to the other part, said two members beingv united on a pivot on which the last parts may be moved, a bolt movable within said tubular member, having means to interlock with a cooperating engaging face on the plate hinge member, means normally forcing said bolt into interlocking engagement with said plate member, and manually movable means to release the bolt from interlocking action consisting in. a hand operated lever extending outside the hinge members, a portion lill) lll) straddling the pivot, and bearing on a hinge member, and extending portions adapted to Contact with the bolt, whereby movement of the lever Will release the bolt from interlocking engagement.

7. A hinge last, having a bored recess in one part, al tubular hinge member fitted in said recess, a plate member secured to the other part, said two members being united on a pivot on Which the last parts may be moved, a bolt movable Within said tubular member, having means to interlock With a cooperating engaging face on the plate straddling the plate hinge and bearing 20 thereon, and extending portions adapted to Contact With the bolt, said straddling portions being slotted to engage the pivotal pin. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWIN O. KRENTLER. 

